Non-refillable bottle.



L. M. PACKARD. NON-REFILLABLE BOTTLE. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 15, 1909.

939,300. Patented Nov. 9, 1909.

WIT NESSER ATTORNEY LUCIUS MORTON PACKARD, 0F BROCKTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

NON-REFILLABLE BOTTLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 9, 1909.

Application filed January 15, 1909. Serial No. 472,513.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LUOIUS M. PACKARD, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Brockton, in the county of Plymouth, in the State of h Iassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Non-Refillable Bottles, of which the following is a specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, which forms a part of the same.

This invention relates to non-refillable bottles in which a valve and guard cooperate to permit the original contents of the bottle to be dispensed but which prevent the bottle, after the original contents are used, from being again filled with a substitute or spurious liquid.

In the accompanying drawing showing one illustrative embodiment of this invention and in which the same reference numerals refer to similar parts in the several ligures,Figure 1 is a central longitudinal vertical section taken through a bottle equipped with my invention, some of the parts being shown in side elevation for purposes of better illustration. Fig. 2 is a similar vertical section to that shown in Fig. 1 the bottle being inverted and shown in its dispensing position. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the guard, the view being taken in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4c is a horizontal section 011 the line 1d of Fig. 8, a part of one of the wings being broken away for purposes of better illustration. Fig. 5 is a vertical section of the guard taken on line 55 of Fig. 4:. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the valve mechanism detached. Fig. 7 is a longitudinal vertical section through the valve mechanism showing the preferred form of weight and its connection with the valve stem. Fig. 8 is a horizontal section on line 88 of Fig. 6. Fig. 9 is a longitudinal vertical section of my valve mechanism inverted and shown on a smaller scale. Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the preferred form of weight.

In the illustrative embodiment of this invention shown in the drawing 1 is a bottle provided with a neck 2, the interior of which I preferably make slightly tapering permitting it to slightly flare outward toward the mouth 3. At some point in the neck 2 and located a suflicient distance from the mouth 3, I preferably form a stop in the nature of a shoulder against which the petticoat 5 of the guard 6 is adapted to be seated to support the lower end of the guard, its upper end being held to the bottle by means of any suitable packing 7 arranged to cooperate with an annular groove 8 in the head 9 of the guard 6 and a cooperating groove 10 in the neck 2 preferably formed by making a bead 11 in the neck. This packing 7 may be a cork or aluminum ring, or any other suitable substance may be used which will expand and cooperate with the grooves 8 and 10. The shoulders 1 and the groove 10 in the neck 2 are spaced apart to permit the petticoat 5 to rest upon the former and bring the groove 8 substantially opposite the groove 10 in the neck.

The guard 6 is of peculiar form or configuration and serves to prevent tampering with the valve 27. It consists essentially of an annular hollow head 9 provided with a groove 8 and with downwardly extending arms 12, 12, their lower ends being connected to a body portion 13. On the upper part of this body portion 13 and arranged substantially 90 from the arms 12, 12 are laterally extending wings 1 1, 1d and near its lower end is mounted a disk or petticoat 5. To permit the free dispensing of the liquid in the bottle I form in the upper portion of my guard a central open chamber 15 which extends through the head 9 and preferably though not necessarily, for an appreciable distance into the upper portion of the body member 13, forming a depression 16 as shown in full lines in Fig. 5 and in dotted lines in Fig. 3. The walls of this depression 16 form shoulders 17 which are the first obstruction to the passage of a wire or other instrument which might be used to attempt to tamper with the valve. As a further pro tection to the passages 18, 18, located on each side of thearms 12, 12, I provide the inner ends of the arms 12, 12 with bevel shields 19, 19, which serve to partially deflect any metallic or foreign substance which an unscrupulous user might insert to reach the valve in an abortive attempt to refill the bottle with cheaper and inferior liquids. To permit the ready flow of the liquid from the bottle I arrange suitable passages in the petticoat 5 preferably, by forming it with two or more notches 20, 20.

By choking or tapering the interior surface of the neck 2 of the bottle, I permit the valve casing'21 with its packing ring 22 to find its own seat in the neck of the bottle which, of course, will be some suitable point valve seat 25, I provide a valve 27 having an elongated stem 28 of suflicient length to pass through the casing and to receive at its lower end a weight 29. This weight is preferably formed hollow, the upper end being a frustum of a cone and adapted to cooperate with the seat 2st in the lower surface of the casing 21 and the weight is held to the valve stem 28 in any suitable manner such, as by forming a stop 30 on the end of the stem.

The valve stem and the weight are so arranged that there is a relative and independent movement between them. The interior of the weight 29 may be formed of one diameter throughout to permit the free passage of the valve stem 28, but preferably at some intermediate point I make the open ing of minimum diameter and from that point to either end increase the diameter of the opening. F or instance, in Figs. 1 and 7 of the drawing I have made the passage of minimum diameter at 31 and have formed the ends 32, 82, of the passage of gradually increasing diameter from that point. By this arrangement I obtain a peculiar teetering movement of the weight 29 upon the valve stem 28 which adds to its sensitiveness without interfering with the free relative movement of the weight on the valve stem. The friction of the weight upon the stem is also reduced to a minimum as the normal point of engagement between these members is only where the surface 31 contacts with the stem 28. This relative movement between the valve stem and the weight is particularly advantageous if it is attempted to force spurious liquids into the bottle. In such attempts it is usual to first invert the bottle bringing the valve and weight into the position shown for instance in Figs. 2 and 9 of the drawing. It will be readily seen from an inspection of Fig. 9 that if liquids are attempted to be forced. into the bottle, the valve 27 immediately tends to seat itself upon the valve seat 25 free of the weight 29, the valve stem 28 merely passing through the weight 29 without lifting it. In practice this is very important for if the valve can operate independently of the weight, in this position of the parts, it is much more sensitive and will instantly close if any liquid is attempted to be forced back into the bottle.

, other While the weight may have various shapes or contours I preferably form it so that its exterior surface assumes the shape of two integral abutted conical frustums, their bases being brought together to form the largest diameter 50 of the weight which tapers from this point to either end. I also preferably, though not necessarily, score or cut the exterior surface of the weight forming passages 51, 51. These passages form additional outlets from the bottle to the interior of the valve casing 12 which permits the liquid in the bottle to more readily unseat the valve '27 when the contents are to be dispensed. In addition to this function these scores or cuts in the weight serve to proportionally lighten the upper cone to a greater extent than the lower one (it being considered that the weight is made of two conical frustums) which is taken advantage of in the rocking or teetering motion of the weight on the stem 28. In other words these cuts lighten the upper part of the weight proportionally more than they do its lower part which tends to'make the rocking movement of the weight on the stem more sensitive.

In the use of my invention the bottle 1 is filled with any'liquid desired when the valve, valve casing and weight are dropped into the tapered or choked neck of the bottle,'the

valve casing being subjected to suflicient pressure to cause the packing 22, of any suitable description, to securely hold the valve mechanism in the neck. The guard 6 is then dropped into the neck of the bottle until the petticoat 5 contactswith the stops or shoulders 4 which will bring the groove 8 in the head 9, together with the packing 7, of any suitable description, opposite the groove 10 in the neck permitting the pack ing to expand and lock the guard securely in the neck. If the bottle is to be shipped, any suitable cork (not shown) is inserted in the mouth 3. To dispense the liquid the bottle is inverted in the position shown in Fig. 2, when the liquid is caused to flow around the valve casing 21, through the openings 26, and also through the passages 51 in the weight if they are used into the hollow valve casing, thence beneath the valve 27 through the openings 20 in the petticoat 5, around the central body portion 18, through the passages 18, 18, and out through the central chamber 15. If, however, the flow of the liquid is reversed, as by attempting to refill the bottle with another liquid, the parts will operate in the manner previously described to prevent such action.

The guard as well as the valve mechanism will preferably be formed of glass or some non-corrosive substance, and the former be made in one integral piece, but it is to be understood that my invention is not limited to'this feature, nor is it to be limited to the peculiar and effective method of coin necting the weight to the valve stem, as the valve will work efficiently if the bore in the weight is of uniform diameter, nor is my invention to be limited to the weight having the passages 51.

Having thus described this invention in connection with an illustrative embodiment thereof to the details of which I do not desire to be limited what is claimed as new and what it is desired to secure by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims:

1. A guard for non-refillable bottles comprising a head provided with a central opening, a body portion spaced from the hollow head, means for connecting the body portion to the head, one or more wings, and a petticoat provided with openings, said wings and petticoat being mounted on the body portion.

2. In a guard for non-refillable bottles the combination of a head provided with a central opening, a body portion spaced from the hollow head, downwardly extending arms connecting the head and body portion,-one or more wings on the body portion, and an apertured petticoat, the apertures in the petticoat being located beneath the wings.

3. In a guard for non-refillable bottles the combination of a head provided with a central opening, a body portion spaced from the hollow head, downwardly extending arms connecting the head and body portion and one or more wings on the body portion, the upper part of the body member being provided with a depression forming shoulders to stop or deflect a wire or similar substance.

4:. In a guard for non-refillable bottles the combination of the hollow head provided with an annular groove to cooperate with a suitable packing, a body portion spaced from the hollow head, arms connecting the body portion and head, the upper portion or" the body member being provided with a depression forming shoulders, one or more wings mounted on the upper portion of the body member and an apertured petticoat mountedon the lower portion of the body member, the apertures in the petticoat being arranged beneath the wing.

5. A guard for non-refillable bottles comprising a head provided with a central opening, a solid body portion, arms for connecting the solid body portion to the head, a

plurality of wings, a circular petticoat provided with openings, said wings and circular petticoat being mounted on the solid body portion.

LUCIUS MORTON PACKARD. Witnesses E. WV. MARs'roJ, A. G. MARSTON. 

